Robin (magazine)

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Robin
Publication information
Publisher Hulton Press (1953–1960)
Odhams Press (1960–1963)
IPC (1963–1969)
ScheduleWeekly
Format Ongoing series
GenreChildren's
Publication date1953 – 1969
No. of issues836
Creative team
Artist(s)Reg Foster, Basil Reynolds, Sabine Schweitzer, Jennetta Vise, Robert Williams
Editor(s) Marcus Morris (1960–1962)
Clifford Makins (from 1962)

Robin was a British weekly children's magazine published from 1953 to 1969, originally by Hulton Press. Robin was billed as "companion to Eagle , Girl , and Swift " and aimed at younger readers and pre-readers.

Contents

Both the weeklies and annuals were originally edited by Marcus Morris, but by 1962 Clifford Makins had become editor. Artists who worked on Robin included Sabine Schweitzer, Jennetta Vise, Basil Reynolds, Reg Foster, and Robert Williams.

Publication history

In 1959–1960, Odhams Press acquired Hulton Press, renaming it Longacre Press, [lower-alpha 1] [1] thus taking over publication of Eagle, [2] Girl, Swift, [3] and Robin.

In 1960 Cecil Harmsworth King, chairman of the Daily Mirror newspaper, made an approach to Odhams on behalf of Fleetway Publications (formerly the Amalgamated Press). Odhams' board found this too attractive to refuse and, in 1961, Odhams was taken over by Fleetway. In 1963 its holdings were amalgamated with those of the George Newnes Ltd, Fleetway, and others, to form the International Publishing Corporation (known as IPC). Between 1964 and 1968 Odhams operated as a subsidiary of IPC.

Associated annuals were also produced, the first dated 1954, until at least the ninth in 1962. In 1969 Robin was merged into Playhour .

Content

In addition to comic strips, other features included games and puzzles, stories in prose both fictional and true life, poems, colouring-in, and craft projects.

The magazine also had a "Robin Birthday Club" which the reader could join, with a card featuring a robin and the child's name and enrolment number.

Strips

Notes

  1. Odhams' headquarters were at 64 Long Acre, London, inspiring the new name.

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References

  1. Tatarsky, Daniel (2009), Eagle Annual: The Best of the 1960s Comic, London: Orion, pp. introduction, ISBN   978-0-7528-8895-8 .
  2. A Tribute to Frank Hampson 1918–1985, tameside.gov.uk, 12 September 2007, retrieved 24 June 2010
  3. Seymour-Ure, Colin (2004). "Hulton, Sir Edward George Warris (1906–1988), magazine publisher and writer" . Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/40161 . Retrieved 24 August 2013.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  4. Tremayne, David (2005). Donald Campbell: The Man Behind the Mask. Bantam Books. ISBN   0-553-81511-3.

Sources